Tutorial 136 - Rembrandt Lighting (Patreon)

Rembrandt lighting is commonly used in portrait photography and painting, cinema, animation and manga.

A triangle of light appears on the less illuminated side of the face, as form shadows generate compositionally interesting interactions of light and dark shapes. This is sometimes called chiaroscuro, a term which usually referrers to the strong contrasts of light and dark shapes, how they effect the composition as a whole, and how they establish a sense of three-dimensional volume.

If analyzed a little closer, the triangle shape appears to be present and repeated in a variety of ways across the subject. For a quick example of the triangle as a powerful compositional shape see this tutorial: https://www.patreon.com/posts/tutorial-6-shape-4125847

Rembrandt lighting tends to feel the most natural of lighting setups and has been used successfully in cinema for over a hundred years. It is still the go-to lighting for most directors and artists today.